FIBA OQT: New Zealand ends Gilas Pilipinas' Rio dream | Inquirer Sports

FIBA OQT: New Zealand ends Gilas Pilipinas’ Rio dream

By: - Reporter / @MarkGiongcoINQ
/ 10:54 PM July 06, 2016

New Zealand does the Haka dance. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

New Zealand does the Haka dance. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

The Philippines’ road to Rio came to a swift and stunning end at home.

Gilas Pilipinas unraveled and bowed out of contention for a coveted slot in the Summer Games, yielding to a composed and gritty New Zealand side, 89-80, in only the second day of the Fiba Olympic qualifying tournament late Wednesday night.

Article continues after this advertisement

The defeaning noise that filled the air inside a jampacked Mall of Asia Arena turned to a complete silence as the Filipinos came up short once again.

FEATURED STORIES

Andray Blatche willed his way to 30 points on 10-of-19 shots but Gilas just couldn’t match the Kiwis firepower with the steady Webster brothers Tai and Corey leading the way.

The younger Webster finished with a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds while Corey added 23 and was the most efficient player on the floor at plus-15.

Article continues after this advertisement

Isaac Fotu and Thomas Abercrombie also did their part with 17 and 13 points, respectively.

With the Philippines falling out of the race, France and New Zealand automatically advanced to the semifinals along with Canada, which swept its respective group stage.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: Fiba Qualifying Tournament, Group B, home, New Zealand

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.